Arctic Cat is a US-based in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, and was formed by snowmobile pioneer Edgar Hetteen in 1960 due to his departure from his previous self-started business, Polaris Industries.

Like Polaris, Arctic Cat grew to become a major manufacturer of snowmobiles, watercraft, and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs).The company’s first name was Polar Manufacturing, but was soon changed to Arctic Enterprises.

The company made its first snowmobile in 1960. The company attempted many different enterprises in order to expand. However, Arctic Cat went bankrupt in 1982.

Two years later, a new company Arctco was created to continue the production of Arctic Cat snowmobiles.

The company was successful in keeping the Arctic Cat alive and in 1996 the company changed its name to Arctic Cat. Also in 1996 the newly named Arctic Cat Company began producing ATVs for the utility market.

Engine

The model we had on trial was the Arctic Cat 500 EFI, which is powered by a 443cc, single-cylinder engine with single overhead cam and fuel injection.

This power plant is liquid-cooled with a large radiator and fan tucked away safely under the body panels. The electronic fuel injection enables a wide torque curve and effortless power delivery by constantly tuning the engine for any temperature, elevation and humidity changes.

Fuel capacity

The engine itself has a bore and stroke of 89 X 71.2mm and a fuel capacity of 21.5 litres to help you get through the working day without having to stop to refuel.

Power is delivered to the wheels through Arctic Cat’s duramatic transmission. This is an automatic CVT transmission with engine braking. High, low and reverse gears are controlled by a large manual shift lever on the left-hand side.

Four-wheel-drive is easily selected with a switch located on the right handlebar which allows you to change to 4WD easily and safely on the move without removing your hand from the controls.

When the going gets really tough, electronic front differential lock can be selected via the same switch to help you travel over the toughest terrain with ease.

Suspension

The Arctic Cat 500 EFI has fully independent double A-Arm suspension front and back which offers 10in of travel and a modest 11in of ground clearance.

The rider’s comfort is taken care of by coil-over shocks connected to each wheel, which are 12in powder-coated steel wrapped in 25 X 8 Duro Kaden tyres.

Brakes

Stopping the Arctic Cat is no problem, as it’s fitted with hydraulic disc brakes on the front and rear to ensure you come to a stop safely.

Although the 500 EFI is not fitted with power steering, it never felt in any way heavy or uncontrollable.

Steel racks

The Arctic Cat is fitted with large steel racks on the front and rear which have a carrying capacity of 135kg.

The steel rack is fitted with Arctic Cats SpeedRack, which enables the user to quickly and easily fit various attachments on to the ATV. The 500 EFI has a 2in rear hitch receiver and more than 475kg of towing capacity.

The rider is kept informed via a large digital gauge, which displays various operation information, such as clock/hour meter, fuel level, mode button, set/reset button, odometer/trip, gear position, speedometer/tachometer, differential lock, high beam, temperature and oil pressure.

Price

The Arctic Cat 500 EFI which we had on test retails at a modest €7,600 including VAT and comes with a two-year manufacturer’s warranty.

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To read the full ATVs Focus, click here.